Culture and Foreign Policy

International Affairs Book Reviews and Recommendations includes links to websites that regularly feature book reviews, recommended reading lists, book prizes, and directories of free books online and recently released books. See also International Affairs Competitions for Students.

Foreign policy is a critical component in the lives, conduct, and governance of all nation-states. But it has become even more significant in recent years as interstate relations have grown ever more complex.

Contrary to popular myths and conspiracy theories about Washington's desire to control the Middle East, for the past six decades, U.S. policymakers have usually sought to minimize the United States' involvement there.

China's loudest and most nationalistic voices aren't necessarily its most influential; behind the monochromatic official announcements lies a debate and lack of consensus about Chinese direction, both internal and external, Allen Carlson writes in the Diplomat.

In this monograph, author Michael Einsenstadt discusses the strategic culture of Iran and its impact on the country's approach to strategy and war. Through an examination of Iran's “way of war,” Eisenstadt offers specific suggestions for the United States to better engage or deal with Iran.

CFR Experts Guide

The Council on Foreign Relations' David Rockefeller Studies Program—CFR's "think tank"—is home to more than seventy full-time, adjunct, and visiting scholars and practitioners (called "fellows"). Their expertise covers the world's major regions as well as the critical issues shaping today's global agenda. Download the printable CFR Experts Guide.

New Council Special Reports

Campbell evaluates the implications of the Boko Haram insurgency and recommends that the United States support Nigerian efforts to address the drivers of Boko Haram, such as poverty and corruption, and to foster stronger ties with Nigerian civil society.

Koblentz argues that the United States should work with other nuclear-armed states to manage threats to nuclear stability in the near term and establish processes for multilateral arms control efforts over the longer term.

The authors argue that it is essential to begin working now to expand and establish rules and norms governing armed drones, thereby creating standards of behavior that other countries will be more likely to follow.

2014 Annual Report

Learn more about CFR’s mission and its work over the past year in the 2014 Annual Report. The Annual Report spotlights new initiatives, high-profile events, and authoritative scholarship from CFR experts, and includes a message from CFR President Richard N. Haass.Read and download »